PANJIM: Drama unfolded hours before the election to municipal council wards and Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) when the Panjim Police arrested drivers of former CCP Mayor Surendra Furtado for violating the ongoing Code of Conduct.
Soon thereafter, Furtado and BJP’s former spokesperson Dattaprasad Naik applied for anticipatory bail fearing arrested in the non-bailable offence.
Naik, recently terminated from the post as BJP spokesperson, had refused to campaign for his party-backed CCP panel led by Panjim MLA Atanasio Monserrate.
Mahadev Palekar alias Madan and Yogiraj Parwar were arrested at around 11 pm on March 19, based on a complaint filed by flying squad officer Krishna Ratul alleging that they were found canvassing/distributing pamphlet of CCP candidate Furtado although campaigning period had ended.
The Panjim Police arrested the two on charges under Sections 188 (Disobedience to Order Duly Promulgated by Public Servant) and 171-C (Undue Influence at Elections) read with Section 34 (Common Intention) of Indian Penal Code.
In its submission before the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Panjim challenging bail plea filed by the arrested accused, the investigation team alleged that Furtado and Naik were also at the spot with pamphlets but fled on seeing the flying squad.
“Their whereabouts are not known,” Police Sub-Inspector Manjunath Naik said in the reply application to the JMFC that heard the matter during the late hours.
Soon after the message went viral, Furtado and Naik, in a separate media statement rubbished allegation of them ‘missing’, stating they are ‘very much at home’.
While the arrested men were granted conditional bail, as told to Herald by their lawyer Adv Swapnil Nasnolkar; Furtado and Naik filed for anticipatory bail before the Sessions Judge, Panjim.
The matter was taken up for hearing on priority on Saturday morning wherein the applicants, represented by Adv Nasnolkar, alleged that the police were trying to falsely implicate them in the case.
Earlier during the day, reacting to the case against him, Furtado blame the BJP for getting into the bribery tactics.
